What a Dentist Looks for When Examining Your Mouth

A dentist is classified as a primary dental care provider. They are responsible for diagnosing, treating, and managing your overall oral health care needs. Regular dental check-ups are the most effective and easiest way to identify abnormalities in the mouth and prevent potential issues from growing into life-threatening ones. Some of the problems identified early during a dental check-up include tooth decay, cavities, gum diseases, and oral cancer.

Identifying and dealing with these potential problems earlier before it escalates into severity leaves enough room for a successful treatment and helps save a lot of money in the long run. However, many individuals do not understand the benefits of routine oral exams or feel anxious because they don't know what to expect during a typical dental check-up. Below is what a dentist looks for when examining your mouth.

Oral or oropharyngeal cancer

The dentist will look for oral cancer signs during the dental exam, including inspecting your neck, lymph nodes, jaw area, inside your cheeks, and under your tongue. The mouth is examined for any lesions and bumps. If you are at high risk of oral cancer, your dentist will recommend frequent check-ups, and treatment might be administered.

Checking for gum diseases

Gum disease is another serious mouth disease that does not always present symptoms immediately, which is why visiting your dentist regularly to examine your gums is essential. It includes swollen gums, excessively sized gum pockets, or bleeding with any slight pressure on your teeth. If gum disease is left without treatment, it could eventually lead to life-threatening issues such as tooth loss, heart conditions, and diabetes.

Checking the structure of the teeth

This is an important step in examining your mouth, which involves a full mouth x-ray (radiographs) or other diagnostic procedures that should be taken at least once a year. These in-depth pictures allow the dentist to have a good look inside your mouth, beyond what the eyes can see. In addition to looking for tumors and cancerous cells, the dentist will inspect the structure of your teeth. This is to determine if any shifting has occurred or any decay he had missed during the manual examination.

Checking your bite and jaw for problems

Grinding of the teeth (bruxism) is a major symptom of sleep apnea. Grinding of the teeth can cause worn-out, chipped, and cracked tooth surfaces, resulting in inflammation, cavities, and receding gums. When your dentist notices these signs during an oral examination, you will be sent for a sleep study and diagnosed with a sleep disorder. A smaller jaw and a sore and reddened throat are also an indication of a sleep-related breathing disorder.